Crytek's "free-to-play" Warface hits Xbox 360 today, but it's not exactly free

Crysis developer Crytek's free-to-play first-person shooter Warface launched on Xbox 360 today through a public beta. But while the game is free-to-play, you'll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription ($60/year) to actually partake in the action.

Microsoft says the Warface Xbox 360 beta is available beginning today, though you'll need to register at Warface.com/xbox to gain entry. Keys don't appear to be going out to everyone, as I still have not received one.

Warface, which launched on PC last year, runs on Crytek's proprietary CryEngine and pits teams of eight soldiers against one another. The beta allows players to try all four Warface classes (Rifleman, Medic, Engineer, and Sniper) on a variety of maps.

When the game launches in full this spring, players can expect regularly updated content like daily cooperative campaign missions and a "continuous supply" of new maps and guns. Though the game is free-to-play, you can spend real-world money to acquire a host of virtual items.